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<title>Out in the Cold by Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29691684">Out in the Cold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw/pseuds/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw'>Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>February Ficlet Challenge 2021 [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carmilla (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Miscommunication, Romantic Fluff, Secrets</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:20:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>654</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29691684</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw/pseuds/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura's been acting strangely all week: sneaking around and being evasive. What could Carmilla's tiny girlfriend be hiding from her?</p>
<p>Pairing: Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein<br/>Prompt: Ice</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>February Ficlet Challenge 2021 [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>February Ficlet Challenge 2021: Apocalypse No</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Out in the Cold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Laura?” No response. Carmilla’s eyes narrowed. It was a) Laura’s free day and b) freezing out, which meant that c) Laura should be sipping cocoa and reading fanfic. But a quick pass through their tiny apartment turned up no sign of her. Carmilla pulled out her phone and texted Laf: <em>Laura over at your place?</em></p>
<p><em>Negative</em>, came the reply.</p>
<p>Huh. Something strange was going on. Carmilla checked the fridge: they still had plenty of milk and other necessities - nothing that couldn’t wait until their usual Friday afternoon grocery run. </p>
<p>Her ears perked up as the door opened. “Laura?”</p>
<p>“Uh--hey, Carm?”</p>
<p>Carmilla’s eyes narrowed as she prowled out into the foyer. “You sound surprised, cupcake.”</p>
<p>“It’s just - I thought your seminar ran later.” Carmilla was glaring full-on daggers now, trying to cut free the truth. “I, uh, went for a walk.” Her snow-covered boots bore that out, at least, so she let Laura have her pivot: “We don’t have anything planned this Friday night, do we?”</p>
<p>“Nnno?” </p>
<p>“Great!” Laura’s face brightened to solar levels of output. “C’mon, let’s make dinner.” </p>
<p>“Okay,” Carmilla allowed. But don’t think this is over, twinkie.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Thursday came and went, and then Carmilla’s Friday morning class, which meant it was time for their sickeningly domestic tradition: refilling their pantry at the local grocery store. But when Carmilla went for her jacket, Laura was already dressed to go. Her eyes narrowed again. “You’re unusually excited to go. Even by your standards. Chocolate on sale this week?” Her feeble stab at humor yielded...unusual results.</p>
<p>“I, uh...thought I could just go myself this week, and you could stay home.”</p>
<p>Curiouser and curiouser. “You’ve been acting weird all week, creampuff.”</p>
<p>“Exactly!” Laura seemed...oddly relieved to have something to grab onto. “Consider this me making it up to you.” She opened the door and was nearly out before Carmilla grabbed her wrist. “Just...trust me okay?” she answered the unspoken question.</p>
<p>Carmilla relented, releasing her and kissing her goodbye. </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Carmilla spent the next hour punching down insecurities. Laura wasn’t cheating on her; she would be able to smell another woman on her girlfriend. Laura wasn’t a secret vigilante or something crazy - no unexplained injuries. But what? Why was she sneaking around? </p>
<p>The quandary stewed until the blessedly early winter sunset. “C’mon,” Laura tugged on her hand, leading her out of town. She refused to answer any questions as they trudged through the snowy woods. Finally - finally - Laura’s face lit up. “Almost here!” They pressed on, off the trail. “Took me longer than I thought to find someplace suitable.” A tiny frozen pond greeted them. “I thought you’d like ice skating, except usually you have to go to a rink. Which are full of people. Most of which you hate,” Laura explained unnecessarily. </p>
<p>Carmilla’s eyes blurred with tears as Laura lit a pair of tiki torches she had apparently brought out and nested in cinder blocks (rather than the frozen ground). “Skates are in my bag; yours has thermoses of soup and cocoa for when we get cold,” her girlfriend continued.</p>
<p>“You--you did all this? For me?” Carmilla brushed a frozen tear from her cheek.</p>
<p>“I thought you’d like it,” Laura offered with a sheepish shrug. “It was hard keeping it from you, but, um, I wanted it to be a surprise.” </p>
<p>“I-- Wow. You, uh, win the best girlfriend prize this week, cutie.” Carmilla pulled her into a tight, tender hug. “Sounds almost perfect, except for one detail.”</p>
<p>“No!” Laura pulled back, outrage quickly fading as she read the snark on her lover’s lips.</p>
<p>“Well,” Carmilla drawled, “soup isn’t very filling, so when I get done, I might still be hungry.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Laura blinked as Carmilla punctuated the sentiment with a hungry lick of her lips. “I think I know just the place.”</p>
<p>“Oh, good,” Carmilla’s mouth formed a subtle smile, “because I’m probably going to be hungry enough for seconds.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Candidly: everything in this fic is probably a bad idea. People, talk to your significant others, and don't go hiking alone in the dark. Even for super romantic moments.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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